Lex Hoogduin Professor of the Economics of Complexity and Uncertainty in Financial Markets and Financial Institutions

Hoogduin

Prof. L.H. (Lex) Hoogduin, former member of the board of De Nederlandse Bank, has been appointed as a part-time professor in the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Groningen. The appointment means a return to Groningen for Hoogduin, who previously graduated from, was awarded a PhD by and spent a spell as a professor at FEB.

Hoogduin’s appointment as Professor of the Economics of Complexity and Uncertainty in Financial Markets and Financial Institutions in the Department of Economics, Econometrics and Finance (EEF) officially started on 1 April 2013.

‘Hope to inspire’

His decision to shift the focus of his working life from the world of banking to academia (at the University of Amsterdam, the Duisenberg Institute and now the University of Groningen) is entirely in keeping with his drive to discover what makes the world tick. He feels compelled to keep in touch with the real world: ‘I get a kick out of understanding things; that’s what fascinates me. It’s important to keep doing that, otherwise you go on automatic pilot. And I enjoy passing on my knowledge; it keeps me on my toes.’

Hoogduin is looking forward to his new job, even if it is only for one day a week. ‘It’s nice to be asked to join a faculty that I know so well. I haven’t quite worked out the details, but I’m considering teaching the concept of complexity and uncertainty in a number of course units alongside the mainstream approach. I shall be bringing a PhD student with me and hope that this way of looking at things will inspire others.’

Uncertainty and complexity

Hoogduin will concentrate on the economics of complex systems, with a particular focus on financial systems and financial institutes, including the supervision of these systems and institutes. A well-considered description of what he sees as a very special field: ‘Complexity is a key topic at the University of Groningen, and one that deserves more serious attention from the economic perspective. I added the uncertainty angle myself. My PhD thesis revolved around this subject; it has shaped the way I think about the issue and my view of the economy and the world.’

Lex Hoogduin(Leiden, 1956) studied economics at the University of Groningen and was awarded a PhD in economic sciences. Hoogduin then worked as a professor of Money and Banking at the University of Groningen from 1995 to 2004. He is currently part-time professor of Monetary Economics and Financial Institutions at the University of Amsterdam, and lectures as a guest professor at the Duisenberg School of Finance. Hoogduin was Global Chief Economist for Robeco between 2005 and 2008, and from August 2006 also managing director of IRIS (Institute for Research and Investment Services B.V.), the institute that conducts investment studies for businesses.

From 2009 to 2011, Lex Hoogduin was a member of the board of De Nederlandsche Bank, and between 1997 and May 2001 he acted as personal advisor to University of Groningen and Faculty of Economics and Business alumnus Wim Duisenberg, the first president of the European Central Bank.

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